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Claims of psychic ability always come down to a pathetic claim that - "I can do something that seems to work some of the time under some circumstances". Essentially no better than remembering winners from normal random luck and forgetting losses.

Instead of - "I have psychic experiences" it should be - "I make lots of guesses and sometimes I get lucky". That would be honest but it's not exciting and mysterious and doesn't make the person "special

__________________Rumours of a godís existence have been greatly exaggerated.

I know that post sounded schizophrenic. But this is the real world, it isn't some fairy tale where people get a textbook definition super power for their using. It is something real that happens to me, and it just so happens it's something I don't want at all. And meds don't really interfere with what I experience.

So you've been on antipsychotic meds before this, then?

I think MNBrant has a good point, and you should consider his advice in this instance.

Maybe you should devise a test and check out your abilities with the help of a friend.

Here's a suggestion - if you think you can influence someone to turn round when you stare at the back of their head, get your friend to be your test subject and then try it out. You could roll dice and if you get an odd number try to make him turn for a while, if you get an even number don't try to do anything. After half a minute, roll the dice again. Both of you write down whether you're trying (or whether he feels you're trying) or not. After ten minutes or so, compare notes.

Why do you "hate everything" that happens to you and say that it's unfortunate that you have this ability. It sounds cool. In what way has it affected you negatively?

If you really have this ability, it could easily make you a millionaire through the JREF Million Dollar Challenge. That seems like it would be a huge positive.

So, why so negative?

Ward

My mind - leaks out in a sense. Meaning so, if you were to be around me for a weeks time, you'd be convinced it was happening. It's hard for me to be in a classroom setting learning material, with my mind being crazy as it is. It's hard for me to be in a social job setting where I would have to make small talk with others. It's getting hard to even be with certain friends of mine. As my social ability is not under normal, it's my uncontrollable thoughts that make these encounters a living nightmare. I was actually going to off myself, not thinking it was an ability at all. Just a curse. But after a while I just thought to myself, "I have to show somebody this, I can't just let it go." And then just recently I found out about this million dollar challenge, and now I'm here And now you now my dark truth

Edit: and by my mind being crazy and my uncontrollable thoughts, I just mean I am thinking awkward things about the situation that I make other people aware of, I don't think paranoid thoughts like thought broadcasting or i'm being targeted by everyone.

It's like less of thinking I can do something, and more of me observing the effects of my uncontrollable influence.

OK. Even if you can't control what influence you feel you're exerting, you do appear to be aware of what it is you're influencing them to do, right?

So how about a test where you write down what you feel you're attempting to make someone do or say before they actually do it?

Or is it in fact the case that you only become aware that you influenced someone to act when they actually do so? In that case it's trickier, but not impossible to test.

Your subject could be given a passage to read out and you (not knowing the text) can listen and write down which words you believe they changed under your influence. At the end, you can see if you really did make them mis-read.

<edit> PS I'm sorry you're having a bad time with these strange feelings and I hope you can get effective help soon. I should also lay my cards on the table and say I'm absolutely sure you are not really psychic but instead have an illness which leads you to feel as if you are.

It's all part of attention seeking and wanting to be special. "I have psychic experiences" therefore I'm special and better than most. But this special ability is "Unfortunately for me" because it's more a curse than a blessing so I deserve even more recognition, attention and sympathy because of the "specialness" burden I bear. Basically it's - "I'm special and it's all about me".

__________________Rumours of a godís existence have been greatly exaggerated.

OK. Even if you can't control what influence you feel you're exerting, you do appear to be aware of what it is you're influencing them to do, right?

So how about a test where you write down what you feel you're attempting to make someone do or say before they actually do it?

Or is it in fact the case that you only become aware that you influenced someone to act when they actually do so? In that case it's trickier, but not impossible to test.

Your subject could be given a passage to read out and you (not knowing the text) can listen and write down which words you believe they changed under your influence. At the end, you can see if you really did make them mis-read.

You almost got it. My influence is limited. If they're reading something, I can't think of something for them to say and they say it. I can however, if they are talking about something - and this is just one of the examples - and I find something that COULD be wrong with what they are saying, I unwillingly give off a feeling about what I was thinking and they in turn aware of the general idea I was thinking. They will then address this hole in their story like 1) anyone is thinking it and 2)It is an actual hole. 90% of the time this happens, it is a deceiving notion. If you actually thought about it, it doesn't make sense and shouldn't be even mentioned. It doesn't actually relate or should be brought up at all. But people always fall pray to my influence. They react to it, as I just sit back and think "Le sigh" and slightly pity their patheticness.

I do this all the time when telling a story, I will notice the issue with it at about the same time as the audience. Because we are humans and come to conclusions similarly.

Nothing fancy or paranormal there

I tried to cover that part up by clarifying how my notions are just flawed and they are deceptions. I make people think things that aren't even true, and they address these things. Where as if you think about it hard, (Or usually I'd be the one to have to explain it) It doesn't fit with what they were saying, they covered it already, or it's just straight wrong.

As I said before, you are either a liar, have a fantasy prone personality, or are delusional. Nothing you've said here has convinced anyone that you're not a liar, though some here seem inclined to believe that you may be delusional or otherwise mentally ill. I'm keeping an open mind, I think it's all three.

I tried to cover that part up by clarifying how my notions are just flawed and they are deceptions. I make people think things that aren't even true, and they address these things. Where as if you think about it hard, (Or usually I'd be the one to have to explain it) It doesn't fit with what they were saying, they covered it already, or it's just straight wrong.

Thanks for your response. I'm not sure I completely understand it. Are you saying that your own thoughts are running out of control, or are you saying that it's your fear that your thoughts will cause others to react negatively to you that's the problem? Or is it something else that I still don't get?

Also, put yourself in the position of the JREF. If they received an application for the prize from you, what do you think would be a fair test from their point of view? Would that same test be fair from your point of view? While the participants in this forum do not speak officially for the JREF, there are many people here who are experienced in setting up these types of tests and they know how the JREF would likely react.

Also, where do you live? There are a number of other paranormal cash prizes around the world. You might want to start with the one that's closest to you.

There's the IIG's US$50,000 Challenge in California, USA
They now have affiliates in Atlanta, GA and Washington, DC and are developing affiliates in Denver, CO, Calgary, Canada and probably other places as well.http://www.iigwest.org/challenge.html
They also offer US$5,000 as a "Finder's Fee"

My influence is limited. If they're reading something, I can't think of something for them to say and they say it. I can however, if they are talking about something ...

Sounds like a dead end. That effect would be indistinguishable from post hoc kidding yourself: "I was thinking about X and then they said it, therefore I made them say it".

What about your claimed ability to make people perform unexpected or inappropriate-to-context movements? Could you video strangers at a distance (so they don't notice and can't hear you) and narrate what you feel you're influencing them to do just before they actually do it?

__________________"Such reports are usually based on the sighting of something the sighters cannot explain and that they (or someone else on their behalf) explain as representing an interstellar spaceship-often by saying "But what else can it be?" as though thier own ignorance is a decisive factor." Isaac Asimov

You almost got it. My influence is limited. If they're reading something, I can't think of something for them to say and they say it. I can however, if they are talking about something - and this is just one of the examples - and I find something that COULD be wrong with what they are saying, I unwillingly give off a feeling about what I was thinking and they in turn aware of the general idea I was thinking. They will then address this hole in their story like 1) anyone is thinking it and 2)It is an actual hole. 90% of the time this happens, it is a deceiving notion. If you actually thought about it, it doesn't make sense and shouldn't be even mentioned. It doesn't actually relate or should be brought up at all. But people always fall pray to my influence. They react to it, as I just sit back and think "Le sigh" and slightly pity their patheticness.

Wow, that really is an unfortunate power.

Me? I'd rather have the power to influence people to think better, and then feel happy for them afterwards.

A power that makes me hate people for things they can't control? That's a pretty douchebag power. Unfortunately for you, indeed!

A lot goes on that I experience and it's hard to describe why anything specific happens without getting into other stuff.

It's kind of like this. I get a strong feeling. Sometimes people around me, or the ones I'm listening to, can feel this feeling. This feeling is sparked for all sorts of reasons. This can happen if when i'm in a social situation with an overweight person nearby who can hear my conversation, and the word fat is brought up,(or something along those lines) I give out a feeling. In this instance you get no specific notions from the feeling, but a feeling still goes out that people around would feel.

Now say i'm having a conversation with somebody and this feeling happens - so they cough. But this was just a natural cough - but my crazy ass mind makes them think I thought they coughed on purpose to get rid of this feeling. That is just the strong feeling that's happening. (That's natural, you know, when it seems like it's an awkward situation so you try to take your mind off it with anything). And honestly, I don't know exactly what I make them think. But it's usually for a couple of reasons that I make them cough again after I give out that awkward feeling. One is to try to prove to me that their first cough was just natural, (which is quite funny) and another is because they don't want to feel that awkward feeling i'm giving out in general. Both of these reasons are based on because they think they know what I'm thinking. But that's what I do with my vibes, or influences, or whatever you want to call it. Every time it happens people think it's such a reality, that it's something true to the situation in any way. They also will tend to at times think I'm the one holding these opinions. None of them realize the concept at play and that it should therefore automatically disprove the notions at hand, they believe it willlinglesly.

Also these notionless feelings, or deceptions, can happen over ventrilo and skype. I'm not sure what others are thinking exactly, when I'm giving out notionless feelings, but you can become aware that it's happening. Also the deception happens as people are talking among each other. All I have to do is be there and listen. =\

I would love to get rid of this. I dread over it day and night. And please don't tell me I can do so by taking some meds .
I have not been able to use this to my advantage but that may be because of the lifestyle choice I am currently partaking in(lol). But as I see it now, this will never be anything good.

And my last post doesn't totally make sense, does it? Like I said this is the real world, where people don't get text book definition abilities. I am in my current state for many reasons, some include the direction my experiences took as it was progressing due to the factors affecting it.

My influence is limited. I can [think of something for them to say and they say it], if they are talking about something... and I find something that COULD be wrong with what they are saying,

How do you know that you caused them to say it, rather than it just being coincidence that they said what you wanted them to say?

"Great minds think alike' and it is not at all unusual for two people with the same cultural background to have similar thoughts and do similar things independently, in the same situation. Just because they think the same way you do does not mean that you are influencing their thoughts.

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90% of the time this happens, it is a deceiving notion.

What do you mean by 'deceiving'?

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people always fall pray to my influence. They react to it, as I just sit back and think "Le sigh" and slightly pity their patheticness.

Or perhaps they don't react to your 'influence', but think their own thoughts - which sometimes just happen to align with yours. Perhaps they are not so pathetic after all...

Correlation does not equal causation. This fact is obvious when you think about it, but we are wired to see a cause and effect even when it doesn't exist. Everybody does it. Even the most skeptical and level-headed person will see patterns that aren't there, and associations which have no meaning.

I will always remember when I first caught myself wishing for something to happen, and realizing the stupidity of thinking that my mind could have influence over the outside world. I was 5 years old at the time, just finished a harrowing day at school and waiting for the long bus trip home. On a previous occasion I had been beaten up by some bullies and was crying - thinking about my mother - and there she was waiting for me. It was just a coincidence that she happened to be in town and decided to pick me up from school that day, but it set off an association in my mind. So this next time I found myself thinking that if I wished for her to be there then somehow that would influence her to turn up.

Even though I was only 5, I still had enough intelligence and logical thinking ability to quickly realize how silly that idea was. Even if my mother had been there that second time, I knew that it would have just been a coincidence and not due to my willpower. However, due to this incident I appreciate how easily someone could fall into the trap of thinking that their mind has influence over others.

You have to guard yourself against the mistake of believing these nonsensical things, despite your feelings. You mind has influence over your own body, but no influence over other people's minds or bodies (or anything else). Forget what you feel, and accept this fact like you accept other aspects of reality - like the fact that you can't jump off a tall building and fly like a bird (even if you felt like you could).

How do you know that you caused them to say it, rather than it just being coincidence that they said what you wanted them to say?

"Great minds think alike' and it is not at all unusual for two people with the same cultural background to have similar thoughts and do similar things independently, in the same situation. Just because they think the same way you do does not mean that you are influencing their thoughts.

Let's say my name is rover, and i work in a department store. Over the loudspeaker comes "Rover.......to the front end please. Rovertothefrontendthankyou!" Just at the specific time I gave out the feeling they react, and us both knowing the awkward thing that happened..they try to play it off as natural. There I would give out a feeling after hearing my name suddenly..then the person says it again fast to try to stop the feeling from happening. That's just one way their speech gets influenced over the loudspeaker, other pages end up different but still pertain exactly to my thoughts.

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What do you mean by 'deceiving'?

Well in that last situation, I'd end up deceiving them because of the thoughts the'd end up thinking about what happened in the end. I could get into it, but honestly them thinking anything at all would just be wrong. In other situations, I'd decieve them by making them think I care usually about a subject, so they tend to talk about it differently, or I just make them think anything via this notion. Anything they end up thinking - is just always skewed. I can't stop it.

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Or perhaps they don't react to your 'influence', but think their own thoughts - which sometimes just happen to align with yours. Perhaps they are not so pathetic after all...

Correlation does not equal causation. This fact is obvious when you think about it, but we are wired to see a cause and effect even when it doesn't exist. Everybody does it. Even the most skeptical and level-headed person will see patterns that aren't there, and associations which have no meaning.

Yah yah just mentioned how this doesn't always apply. :P Especially when most of the time what I think shouldn't be mentioned, or is just wrong about the situation or their story, get's taken into account by the speaker. Even if it's wrong it can still be correlation but when it's just so unrelated and when this event happens numerous times a day, you got to question it.

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I will always remember when I first caught myself wishing for something to happen, and realizing the stupidity of thinking that my mind could have influence over the outside world. I was 5 years old at the time, just finished a harrowing day at school and waiting for the long bus trip home. On a previous occasion I had been beaten up by some bullies and was crying - thinking about my mother - and there she was waiting for me. It was just a coincidence that she happened to be in town and decided to pick me up from school that day, but it set off an association in my mind. So this next time I found myself thinking that if I wished for her to be there then somehow that would influence her to turn up.

Even though I was only 5, I still had enough intelligence and logical thinking ability to quickly realize how silly that idea was. Even if my mother had been there that second time, I knew that it would have just been a coincidence and not due to my willpower. However, due to this incident I appreciate how easily someone could fall into the trap of thinking that their mind has influence over others.

Don't BS me man, is this true?

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You have to guard yourself against the mistake of believing these nonsensical things, despite your feelings. You mind has influence over your own body, but no influence over other people's minds or bodies (or anything else). Forget what you feel, and accept this fact like you accept other aspects of reality - like the fact that you can't jump off a tall building and fly like a bird (even if you felt like you could).

When you are getting burned, you feel it yet you know it's happening right. It's the same thing. It's also the same thing with myself, I don't just feel it, I know it's happening.

I would love to get rid of this. I dread over it day and night. And please don't tell me I can do so by taking some meds .
I have not been able to use this to my advantage but that may be because of the lifestyle choice I am currently partaking in(lol). But as I see it now, this will never be anything good.

And my last post doesn't totally make sense, does it? Like I said this is the real world, where people don't get text book definition abilities. I am in my current state for many reasons, some include the direction my experiences took as it was progressing due to the factors affecting it.

I have no idea if drugs would help and I can't see how you'd get a valid diagnosis based on what you post in a forum.

What's interesting to me is that you've had these experiences and how you've managed to fit them into your worldview. Would you say that you are more accepting of other's claims of psychic abilities, including those that aren't mirrors of your own? In other words, do your experiences mean you also believe that people can talk to the dead or move objects with their minds or predict the future?

Is it all of a kind or do you localize your experiences to yourself alone and dismiss what others claim?

But people always fall pray to my influence. They react to it, as I just sit back and think "Le sigh" and slightly pity their patheticness.

Occasionally feeling superior to others is something many of us fall prey to, even if it is unworthy of our better natures. For example I'm feeling quite superior to you right now, but I'm not proud of it

It's a shame former member "rorylee" was banned a while back, you would've liked him. Like you, rory, rory thought he could psychically mess with other people's heads...whoa...

Wait just one cotton-picking minute...

"rorylee"? and "roryboryalice"?

Could it be??

I am going to suggest something that some here will find inappropriate. It might even get me in trouble with the Mods, but damn the consequences, I'm going to say it, anyway!

I think rorylee was able to psychically influence this other rory person into posting here! If so, rorylee's psychic powers are REAL, as evidenced by his ability to exert his uncanny influence on the pathetic!

Forget "Le sigh", Try "Le WOW!"

__________________Do not weep. Do not wax indignant. Understand. - Baruch Spinoza
You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to your informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant. - Harlan Ellison

I don't really think anybody else can do what they claim to, but I am totally interested if someone can prove this to see what they're all about. The only guy I believe who can do anything above current normal human abilities is John Chang. Hehe.

And I never said this is a superpower, it's not a power in any way. It's just something I can do with my mind, that others can't.

I don't really think anybody else can do what they claim to, but I am totally interested if someone can prove this to see what they're all about. The only guy I believe who can do anything above current normal human abilities is John Chang. Hehe.

And I never said this is a superpower, it's not a power in any way. It's just something I can do with my mind, that others cannot.

Maybe other people can do it. Many other people. Maybe we just don't talk about it.

Let's say my name is rover, and i work in a department store. Over the loudspeaker comes "Rover.......to the front end please. Rovertothefrontendthankyou!" Just at the specific time I gave out the feeling they react, and us both knowing the awkward thing that happened..they try to play it off as natural.

Er, how do you know that they also "know the awkward thing that happened' and are just trying to "play it off as natural"? Do they tell you this? Or is it an unverified assumption on your part?

roryboryalice, from what you've given so far, at least here, there could be other explanations for those experiences. I'm not saying any of these are the case, but let me list some possibilities:

1) Confirmation bias: This means that when you try to do this, sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. But you only really keep track of the times it works, so it seems to happen a lot, when it could be just chance.

2) Some mental illnesses can give you the feeling your thoughts are being broadcast. It's very hard so see through this, because it takes your brain to figure it out, and if your brain is low on some biochemical, it can confuse your interpretation of events.

3) Moving the goalposts: Maybe you thought something like "Turn left". And they didn't, And then later they turned around, but the other way. And you counted it because thinking, well, I really meant just turn, not turn left.

Any thoughts there?

This summarizes very well what I was thinking as I read the OP's claims.

__________________As long as people believe in absurdities they will continue to commit atrocities.
- Voltaire.

I know that post sounded schizophrenic. But this is the real world, it isn't some fairy tale where people get a textbook definition super power for their using. It is something real that happens to me, and it just so happens it's something I don't want at all. And meds don't really interfere with what I experience.

Are you the same rory that could read people's thoughts? The one who said everybody was thinking that you smell bad?